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Avant Garde: Difference between revisions
The Avant Garde demo chronology is very convoluted
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| Former members = [[Rivers Cuomo]]<br>[[Kevin Ridel]]<br>[[Justin Fisher]]<br>[[Bryn Mutch]]<br>[[Eric Ridel]]<br>[[Michael Stanton]] | | Former members = [[Rivers Cuomo]]<br>[[Kevin Ridel]]<br>[[Justin Fisher]]<br>[[Bryn Mutch]]<br>[[Eric Ridel]]<br>[[Michael Stanton]] | ||
}} | }} | ||
'''Avant Garde''' (later known as '''Zoom''') was a progressive heavy metal band from Connecticut. Featuring technical and heavy guitar solos, a dramatic production sense, and hair metal aesthetics, the band was formed by [[Rivers Cuomo]] and his childhood friends at E.O. Smith and Rockville high schools<ref name="E.O Smith Battle of the Bands">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tfnz6sTFB8 Youtube video] entitled "E.O. Smith Battle of the Bands, May 24, 1988: Avant Garde, "Tongue of Fire"". Description reads: Avant Garde, an original progressive metal band, was comprised of E.O. Smith / Rockville High School students, all between the ages of 16 and 17 years old. From [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MJ40q-8TJPvqQAJ5m9KAA Rakkit TV] channel.</ref>. Drawing inspiration from Judas Priest and [[Kiss]], Avant Garde's lineup consisted of Cuomo on guitar, [[Justin Fisher]] on bass, [[Kevin Ridel]] on lead vocals, his brother [[Eric Ridel]] on guitar, and [[Bryn Mutch]] on drums. The band relocated to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1988, changed its name to '''Zoom'''<ref name=" | '''Avant Garde''' (later known as '''Zoom''') was a progressive heavy metal band from Connecticut. Featuring technical and heavy guitar solos, a dramatic production sense, and hair metal aesthetics, the band was formed by [[Rivers Cuomo]] and his childhood friends at E.O. Smith and Rockville high schools<ref name="E.O Smith Battle of the Bands">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tfnz6sTFB8 Youtube video] entitled "E.O. Smith Battle of the Bands, May 24, 1988: Avant Garde, "Tongue of Fire"". Description reads: Avant Garde, an original progressive metal band, was comprised of E.O. Smith / Rockville High School students, all between the ages of 16 and 17 years old. From [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MJ40q-8TJPvqQAJ5m9KAA Rakkit TV] channel.</ref>. Drawing inspiration from Judas Priest and [[Kiss]], Avant Garde's lineup consisted of Cuomo on guitar, [[Justin Fisher]] on bass, [[Kevin Ridel]] on lead vocals, his brother [[Eric Ridel]] on guitar, and [[Bryn Mutch]] on drums. The band relocated to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1988, changed its name to '''Zoom'''<ref name="rechist1">[[Recording_History_-_Page_1|Weezer Recording History - Page 1]]</ref>, and dissolved by the spring of [[1990]]<ref name="Details">[[Details interview with Rivers Cuomo - February 1997]] by Gavin Edwards</ref>. | ||
==Biography== | ==Biography== | ||
===Formation=== | ===Formation=== | ||
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{{Rivers Cuomo quote|I was always a bit of an oddity [in high school]. When I was in ninth grade, we were picked on and ostracized. By 11th grade, we were tolerated. And by 12th grade, people gave us a certain amount of respect. But we were never rock stars, just the weird guys who did music."|''[[Hartford Courant article - December 4, 1996|The Hartford Courant]], [[December 4]], [[1996]]}} | {{Rivers Cuomo quote|I was always a bit of an oddity [in high school]. When I was in ninth grade, we were picked on and ostracized. By 11th grade, we were tolerated. And by 12th grade, people gave us a certain amount of respect. But we were never rock stars, just the weird guys who did music."|''[[Hartford Courant article - December 4, 1996|The Hartford Courant]], [[December 4]], [[1996]]}} | ||
[[Image:Avant Garde shirt.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Avant Garde merch from the late 1980s.]] | [[Image:Avant Garde shirt.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Avant Garde merch from the late 1980s.]] | ||
In 1987, Avant Garde recorded their first, untitled, demo tape, consisting of the songs "[[Tongue of Fire]]", "[[I Must Be Dreaming]]" and "[[Black Rose]]." Later dubbed ''[[The Blue Demo]]'' for its light blue sticker label, the demo on cassette in limited quantities. | |||
On [[December 12]], [[December 13|13]] and [[December 18|18]] of [[1987]], Avant Garde recorded six new songs at Trod Nossel studios in Wallingford, Connecticut<ref | In the summer of [[1987]], Cuomo attended a summer program at Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he met Texas native [[Michael Stanton]]. Cuomo and Stanton quickly became friends and spent hours composing dual guitar solos.<ref name="riversedge" /> After the program at Berklee concluded, Stanton traveled with Cuomo and Fisher back to Connecticut, where Stanton stayed at Cuomo's house, before sitting in with Avant Garde at a performance in Massachusetts. | ||
On [[December 12]], [[December 13|13]] and [[December 18|18]] of [[1987]], Avant Garde recorded six new songs at Trod Nossel studios in Wallingford, Connecticut<ref name="rechist1" />. This demo, later dubbed ''[[The Purple Demo]]'' for it's purple label, featured the songs "[[You Were Just Using Me]]", "[[Renaissance]]", "[[Standing in the Paris Rain]]", "[[Father Time]]", "[[Never Forget]]", and "[[Free Fall]]". Fewer than fifty cassette copies are believed to have been produced.<ref name="rechist1" /> In a matter of weeks, the demo received heavy rotation on WHUS 91.7, University of Connecticut's campus radio station, appearing in the #11 slot (above [[Jane's Addiction]]'s debut).<ref name="riversedge" /> Avant Garde would go on to headline shows throughout [[1988]]. That same year, [[Michael Stanton]] officially joined the band, driving across the country from Texas to Connecticut. | |||
Avant Garde was extremely impressed with Michael's devotion to move to Connecticut. After his arrival, the band re-entered the studio in July of 1988 to record a third demo they called ''[[Somethin' Different!]]''. The new demo included "[[Judge and Jury]]", "[[Bite the Bullet]]", "[[21st Century Shogun]]", "You Were Just Using Me", "Never Forget," and a revisited "Renaissance." For the most part, the songs were collaborations between Cuomo and Ridel exclusively{{citation needed}}. Stanton contributed parts to "21st Century Shogun" and some lyrics to "Judge and Jury".{{citation needed}} | Avant Garde was extremely impressed with Michael's devotion to move to Connecticut. After his arrival, the band re-entered the studio in July of 1988 to record a third demo they called ''[[Somethin' Different!]]''. The new demo included "[[Judge and Jury]]", "[[Bite the Bullet]]", "[[21st Century Shogun]]", "You Were Just Using Me", "Never Forget," and a revisited "Renaissance." For the most part, the songs were collaborations between Cuomo and Ridel exclusively{{citation needed}}. Stanton contributed parts to "21st Century Shogun" and some lyrics to "Judge and Jury".{{citation needed}} | ||
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While in LA, the band had an extremely difficult time making it. They settled into a shared apartment on Cherokee Avenue, a space they would later be evicted from, according to Cuomo<ref>[[Riverpedia_archive_-_09/04/2020#Lisa|Riverpedia entry from September 2020]]</ref>. Cuomo would later reference Cherokee in the lyrics to "[[Troublemaker]]." The band could only procure stage time via 'Pay for Play' shows, which made it difficult to make rent and perform and record. In 1989{{citation needed}}, the band decided they would have to redo their image and change their name, considering both "Prong" and "Power Chicken" before settling on "Zoom."{{citation needed}} | While in LA, the band had an extremely difficult time making it. They settled into a shared apartment on Cherokee Avenue, a space they would later be evicted from, according to Cuomo<ref>[[Riverpedia_archive_-_09/04/2020#Lisa|Riverpedia entry from September 2020]]</ref>. Cuomo would later reference Cherokee in the lyrics to "[[Troublemaker]]." The band could only procure stage time via 'Pay for Play' shows, which made it difficult to make rent and perform and record. In 1989{{citation needed}}, the band decided they would have to redo their image and change their name, considering both "Prong" and "Power Chicken" before settling on "Zoom."{{citation needed}} | ||
The band was broken up by the spring of 1990, according to Koch<ref name=" | The band was broken up by the spring of 1990, according to Koch<ref name="rechist1" />. According to [[Details interview with Rivers Cuomo - February 1997|a 1997 interview]], two of the band members decided to return home to Connecticut after playing "a few shows."<ref name="Details" /> | ||
[[Image:Zoom promo 2.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Another Zoom promo]] | [[Image:Zoom promo 2.jpg|thumb|300px|right|Another Zoom promo]] | ||